The Pittsburgh Steelers have been very active throughout the 2026 offseason as the franchise is still preparing for the 2026 NFL Draft. A lot of change has taken place, and that was seen by nearly an entirely new coaching staff coming to town. There has also been some turnover on the roster as General Manager Omar Khan orchestrated some moves via trade and in free agency. Some of the more notable moves included the team acquiring wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. from the Indianapolis Colts, signing Jamel Dean and Rico Dowdle, and adding Jaquan Brisker.
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Steelers' Jaquan Brisker speaking with several members of the Pittsburgh media as he gets introduced to the team.
Brisker wound up being one of the more underrated signings of the offseason as his market was not what many believed it might be. He signed a one-year, $5.5 million deal in Pittsburgh, and it was stunning to see him sign for so low. He is not one of the best safeties in the league, but it was thought that his value was more than that. He has a very similar playing style to DeShon Elliott, who will be bouncing back from a serious injury in 2026. Elliott recently joined Cam Heyward on his podcast Not Just Football, and he shared his thoughts when the team initially signed Brisker.
"Jaquan Brisker, I think he's a really good, young guy in the secondary," Elliott said. "Originally, I'm not going to lie, I was like, 'What the f*ck are we doing?' Because we do some similar things. But then, I know the plan, I know like what the intent is for our defense. I think that he's going to play a pivotal role as well. I think he's very aggressive. I think he has the opportunity to take the ball away as well. Sh*t, the more dogs you got in the secondary, the more thumpers, the better. Because after a while, teams is not going to like getting hit. Trust me, I done seen a lot of guys shy away from me hitting them."
Elliott was understandably confused when the organization signed Brisker. The two play a lot alike, and they are both natural strong safeties. They both hit hard and excel when it comes to making plays around the line of scrimmage. Whatever plan that the coaching staff has come up with was described to Elliott, and now the signing makes perfect sense to the veteran.
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Steelers safety DeShon Elliott prepares to walk off the field as Pittsburgh played a professional football game on the road.
More and more NFL teams have been using three safeties, and that was something that the Seattle Seahawks implemented often throughout their run to winning the Super Bowl. This can certainly be a part of Pittsburgh's plans, while either Elliott or Brisker could play in the box. Jalen Ramsey is more of a deep safety, but he can even be moved to cornerback or the nickel at times, which could put Brisker and Elliott as the two deep safeties.
Elliott was obviously concerned when the team signed a player that was so similar to him. On top of that, Brisker is younger and he isn't coming off of a season-ending injury. That could feel threatening to any player, but it sounds like Elliott got some reassurance from the coaching staff that his job was secure.
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Steelers' Jaquan Brisker works out during Phase One of voluntary offseason workouts in 2026.
Steelers Will Benefit From Adding Jaquan Brisker To The Secondary
Brisker is a safety that can do it all. He has recorded an interception in each of his first four seasons, he has consistently gotten to the quarterback when blitzing, and he has also been a reliable tackler. He should fit in nicely to the defensive side of the ball in Pittsburgh, and the coaching staff will find a way to carve out a role for him. He recorded nearly 350 total tackles over the last four seasons, which is something the Steelers could use more of.
What do you think about Elliott's reaction to the Brisker signing? Let me know on X, @brogannoey!
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